Antiperspirant and deodorant products come in many different forms including sticks, gels, soft solids, roll-ons and aerosols. These product forms are typically packaged in different types of dispensers that are suitable for delivering the specific product form. Dispensers for such product forms can be classified as either contact dispensers (sometimes called applicators) or non-contact dispensers. Non-contact dispensers include aerosol and spray dispensers. Within the class of contact dispensers, a further differentiation can be made between a first subclass adapted to dispense flowable materials and a second subclass of dispensers which include an internal means to transport a non-flowable material, such as a solid or hard gel towards a dispensing aperture. For identification purposes, this second subclass of contact dispensers are referred to herein as “stick dispensers”.
As previously stated, in stick dispensers, internal means typically transport the solid product towards a dispensing aperture. In stick dispensers, in order to apply product the solid product is contacted against the surface upon which the product is to be applied (e.g. user's underarm area). Therefore, in stick dispensers the application surface is the product itself.
Unlike stick dispensers, in the first subclass of contact dispensers referenced above the application surface is a part of the dispenser as opposed to the product itself. Such contact applicators commonly have a surface that contains on it a thin layer of the product. The product is a flowable product that will spread on the application surface of the dispenser and on the surface upon which the product is to be applied (e.g. user's underarm area). Typical examples of such applicators are roll-on or porous applicators. In such applicators a part of the dispenser acts as the application surface as opposed to the product itself. The application surface is contacted against the surface upon which the product is to be applied (e.g. user's underarm area) and a thin coating of product is transferred from the application surface to the surface upon which the product is to be applied. While roll-on type dispensers are the primary and most popular of this subclass of contact dispensers, other types of dispensers that fall within this first subclass of applicators are known, such as an applicator having an application surface which is a porous dome as disclosed in EP Application No. 03250205.6, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference. For identification purposes, this first class of contact dispensers are referred to herein as “liquid contact applicators”. For identification purposes, liquid contact applicators having a porous dome application surface, such as those disclosed in EP Application No. 03250205.6, are referred to herein as “porous dome applicators”.
Compositions that have been typically used in liquid contact applicators and porous dome applicators have been subject to several problems. These compositions have typically been alcohol based in order to improve flow properties. However, the alcohol has proven to be irritating to the user's skin. Additionally, these compositions have been known to leak from known liquid contact applicators, especially porous dome applicators.
An object of the present invention is to provide compositions for use in liquid contact applicators, especially porous dome applicators. The compositions of the present invention have good flow characteristics in such applicators and are not irritating to the user.
Other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art by reference to the specification.